US7959236B2 - Wheel rim and method of manufacture thereof, and bicycle including such rim - Google Patents

Wheel rim and method of manufacture thereof, and bicycle including such rim Download PDF

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US7959236B2
US7959236B2 US11/348,366 US34836606A US7959236B2 US 7959236 B2 US7959236 B2 US 7959236B2 US 34836606 A US34836606 A US 34836606A US 7959236 B2 US7959236 B2 US 7959236B2
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Prior art keywords
shaped element
rim
annular
annular shaped
winding
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US20060181140A1 (en
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Jean-Pierre Mercat
Olivier Mouzin
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Mavic SAS
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Salomon SAS
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    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B60—VEHICLES IN GENERAL
    • B60B—VEHICLE WHEELS; CASTORS; AXLES FOR WHEELS OR CASTORS; INCREASING WHEEL ADHESION
    • B60B21/00—Rims
    • B60B21/06—Rims characterised by means for attaching spokes, i.e. spoke seats
    • B60B21/062—Rims characterised by means for attaching spokes, i.e. spoke seats for bicycles
    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B60—VEHICLES IN GENERAL
    • B60B—VEHICLE WHEELS; CASTORS; AXLES FOR WHEELS OR CASTORS; INCREASING WHEEL ADHESION
    • B60B1/00—Spoked wheels; Spokes thereof
    • B60B1/003—Spoked wheels; Spokes thereof specially adapted for bicycles
    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B60—VEHICLES IN GENERAL
    • B60B—VEHICLE WHEELS; CASTORS; AXLES FOR WHEELS OR CASTORS; INCREASING WHEEL ADHESION
    • B60B21/00—Rims
    • B60B21/02—Rims characterised by transverse section
    • B60B21/025—Rims characterised by transverse section the transverse section being hollow
    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B60—VEHICLES IN GENERAL
    • B60B—VEHICLE WHEELS; CASTORS; AXLES FOR WHEELS OR CASTORS; INCREASING WHEEL ADHESION
    • B60B21/00—Rims
    • B60B21/02—Rims characterised by transverse section
    • B60B21/026—Rims characterised by transverse section the shape of rim well
    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B60—VEHICLES IN GENERAL
    • B60B—VEHICLE WHEELS; CASTORS; AXLES FOR WHEELS OR CASTORS; INCREASING WHEEL ADHESION
    • B60B21/00—Rims
    • B60B21/02—Rims characterised by transverse section
    • B60B21/028—Rims characterised by transverse section the shape of hump
    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B60—VEHICLES IN GENERAL
    • B60B—VEHICLE WHEELS; CASTORS; AXLES FOR WHEELS OR CASTORS; INCREASING WHEEL ADHESION
    • B60B21/00—Rims
    • B60B21/02—Rims characterised by transverse section
    • B60B21/04—Rims characterised by transverse section with substantially radial flanges
    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B60—VEHICLES IN GENERAL
    • B60B—VEHICLE WHEELS; CASTORS; AXLES FOR WHEELS OR CASTORS; INCREASING WHEEL ADHESION
    • B60B21/00—Rims
    • B60B21/12—Appurtenances, e.g. lining bands
    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B60—VEHICLES IN GENERAL
    • B60B—VEHICLE WHEELS; CASTORS; AXLES FOR WHEELS OR CASTORS; INCREASING WHEEL ADHESION
    • B60B5/00—Wheels, spokes, disc bodies, rims, hubs, wholly or predominantly made of non-metallic material
    • B60B5/02—Wheels, spokes, disc bodies, rims, hubs, wholly or predominantly made of non-metallic material made of synthetic material
    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B60—VEHICLES IN GENERAL
    • B60B—VEHICLE WHEELS; CASTORS; AXLES FOR WHEELS OR CASTORS; INCREASING WHEEL ADHESION
    • B60B2900/00—Purpose of invention
    • B60B2900/10—Reduction of
    • B60B2900/133—Noise

Definitions

  • the invention relates to a wheel rim for a wheeled apparatus. More particularly, the invention relates to a wheel rim for a bicycle. The invention also relates to a wheel for a wheeled apparatus including the aforementioned rim, as well as to a method of manufacturing the rim.
  • a rim for a bicycle wheel is formed as an annular profile having, inwardly, means for fastening compression spokes or tension spokes and, outwardly, an open channel for receiving a tire and, if necessary, a tube.
  • the rim represents about 60% of the weight of the wheel (for a front wheel) and 90% of the inertia.
  • the rim is a part of the bicycle that is subject to substantial forces. Indeed, with the exception of the tire; the rim is the component that is the closest to the ground and which, after the tire, is exposed to the ground unevenness and transmits the same to the remainder of the bicycle. If the tire is inadequately inflated, the rim can come in direct contact with the ground.
  • the tire subjects the rim to high stresses due to its inflation pressure.
  • each wheel rotation creates a load on each of the spokes, thereby causing mechanical fatigue cycles.
  • the rim is reactionally subject to these fatigue cycles; therefore, it must be sufficiently strong to withstand these forces that can cause fatigue.
  • the rim when braking, the rim must dissipate the heat generated by the friction of the pads, in the area of the lateral flanges of the rim.
  • the profile used for making a rim is characterized by its rigidity and strength.
  • Rigidity characterizes the more or less pronounced aptitude to elastic deformation.
  • the rigidity of a material is evaluated by its modulus of elasticity (E). The higher the modulus, the more rigid the profile, and the less it deforms under a given load.
  • the rigidity of a profile is evaluated by the product (E ⁇ I) of its modulus of elasticity E multiplied by the quadratic inertia (or moment) I of the profile.
  • Strength characterizes the solidity of the profile, that is, the maximum load which the profile can withstand prior to irreversible deformation, or the maximum load prior to breaking.
  • rigidity and strength are characterized along two preferred directions, i.e., first, the frontal direction for any force that tends to deform the rim in the plane that it defines, and second, the lateral direction for any force that tends to deform the rim transversely with respect to the plane that it defines.
  • rims In the field of bicycles, there are two large families of rims, rims for glued/cemented tubular tires and rims for pneumatic tires, the tires either requiring a tube or being tubeless.
  • rims Two types of materials are normally used for the rims, namely, metal, such as steel in the past and an aluminum alloy currently, sometimes magnesium or titanium, on the one hand, and composite materials, more particularly carbon fibers, aramid fibers, or glass fibers embedded in a resin matrix, on the other hand.
  • metal such as steel in the past and an aluminum alloy currently, sometimes magnesium or titanium
  • composite materials more particularly carbon fibers, aramid fibers, or glass fibers embedded in a resin matrix, on the other hand.
  • the currently available aluminum alloy rims are economical, and they are well adapted to braking due to their friction and heat conduction properties.
  • the three documents EP714792 disclose lighter rims.
  • the particular shape of the rim casing makes it possible to reduce the thickness of the lower bridge.
  • the use of a higher performance alloy produces a rim with reduced weight following a chemical treatment that generally reduces the material thickness.
  • the lower bridge is machined between the zones for fastening the spokes so as to reduce the thickness of the bridge in these zones where the stresses have been observed to be relatively low.
  • aluminum rims are made of alloys from the 6000 and the 7000 series. These alloys are differentiated by the types of materials and amounts of materials that are added. These loadings make it possible to improve the mechanical properties of the alloy and, therefore, to reduce the thickness of the walls of the rim case.
  • the modulus of elasticity is almost constant for all of the aluminum alloys; it is on the order of 69 500 MPa (Mega Pascals) for a density on the order of 2.7. This means that all of the aluminum alloys almost have the same modulus.
  • the amount of loading only affects the strength of the alloy. Therefore, a lighter rim made out of a top of the line alloy is stronger while keeping the same rigidity as a rim made of a standard alloy.
  • the composite materials have the advantage of having very good mechanical properties, as well as a very good anticorrosion property.
  • the modulus of a unidirectional carbon epoxy composite varies between 100,000 and 500,000 MPa (for a 1.6 density), as a function of the specific modulus of the fibers and of the resin content.
  • their drawback lies in their cost, their mediocre braking properties, particularly in the rain, and heat conduction properties, their mediocre resistance to complex biases, as is the case in a tire rim, and a mediocre resistance to impacts due to the low shear strength of composites.
  • rims that have a metallic portion and a portion made of a composite material. These rims are normally constructed with a metallic outer band having an annular channel for the pneumatic tire and housings for fastening the spokes, as well as a thin inner ring made of a composite material. The inner ring makes it possible to reduce the weight of the metallic portion while improving the aerodynamics of the rim.
  • the rim according to the invention includes an annular shaped element or profile.
  • the annular shaped element of the rim is peripherally bound by means of at least one winding of continuous fiber coated with a polymerizable resin having, on the outside, an annular channel provided for a tire, and, more particularly, a pneumatic tire.
  • the invention proposes manufacturing an annular profile, or shaped element, which, in a particular embodiment, is made of a known aluminum alloy that is easy to extrude, and reinforcing the mechanical properties of the shaped element with one or several bindings made by winding a resin-coated fiber therearound.
  • the fibers have a modulus of elasticity that is markedly greater than that of the annular shaped element for a lower density.
  • the winding or windings of resin-coated fiber contribute under these circumstances to improving the mechanical properties of the annular shaped element with a reduced weight, as well as improving both the rigidity and the strength of the rim.
  • the fibers are constantly tangent to the annular shaped element; their efficiency is thereby very high in view of the additional weight that they represent.
  • FIG. 1 a is a general view of a wheel according to the prior art
  • FIG. 1 b is a general view of a wheel according to the invention.
  • FIGS. 2 and 3 relate to cross-sectional views of the first embodiment of the invention
  • FIGS. 4 , 5 , and 6 show various types of fibers
  • FIG. 7 illustrates a method of manufacturing the rim of FIGS. 2 and 3 ;
  • FIGS. 8 a , 8 b , 8 c , 8 d , 9 a , 9 b , 9 c , 10 a , 10 b , and 10 c relate to alternative embodiments;
  • FIG. 11 relates to another embodiment of the invention.
  • FIG. 12 schematically illustrates a process of manufacturing the rim of FIG. 11 ;
  • FIGS. 13-19 are related to alternative embodiments of the rims
  • FIG. 20 schematically shows the manufacture of the rim of FIG. 12 ;
  • FIG. 21 shows an alternative embodiment
  • FIGS. 22 a , 22 b , 22 c , 23 a , and 23 b show alternative embodiments of the invention.
  • the wheel 1 shown in FIG. 1 a conventionally has an annular rim 2 , a central hub 3 and spokes 4 connecting the rim and the hub.
  • the rim 2 further has on its periphery an annular channel 5 that is oriented outward for receiving, as the case may be, a tubular tire or a pneumatic tire, the tire being either tubeless or having an inner tube.
  • the main mechanical stresses can be categorized as follows.
  • the tension of the spokes creates a high compression on the profile of the rim.
  • this compression can reach 70 MPa for a rim weighing 400 g for a road wheel and equipped with 28 spokes tensioned at 120 daN.
  • This compression stress reduces the size of the rim by close to 2 mm out of a circumference of about 2 m, or 0.1%.
  • E ⁇ S the product of the modulus of elasticity multiplied by the cross-sectional area of the profile.
  • Frontal bending is created by the tension of the spokes and by the radial load to which the rim is subjected due to the load which the hub withstands and to the unevenness of the road/terrain. Frontal bending generates a compression stress on the outside of the rim, as well as a traction stress on the inner portion of the rim, in the force application zone. The situation is reversed between the spokes; the outside of the rim is subject to traction stress and the inside to compression stress.
  • a tubular tire has the advantage of not stressing the rim due to its inflation.
  • a pneumatic tire due to its inflation, exerts a bending stress on the flanges and a compression stress caused by the pressure of the pneumatic tire on the base of the rim.
  • the weakest zone of a rim is often the outer zone that is subject to the overlap of all these compression stresses.
  • a primary idea of the invention is to reinforce the rim, particularly its outer zone, with at least one fiber binding.
  • FIGS. 1 b and 2 - 4 relate to a first embodiment of the invention.
  • the profile of the rim shown in these figures is of the tubular tire type, with an upper bridge 9 oriented outward of the rim that is relatively slightly recessed to form a channel for receiving a conventional tubular tire.
  • the rim profile includes a lower bridge 10 oriented toward the hub, as well as two side walls 11 and 12 .
  • the assembly forms a casing.
  • the upper and lower bridges 9 , 10 and the side walls 11 , 12 describe a casing, in the form of a “box-shaped” profile extending continuously around the annular rim.
  • the term “box-shaped” refers to the profile having an enclosed cross-sectional space, in this case delimited by the interior surfaces of the walls 9 , 10 , 11 , and 12 .
  • the box-shape is that of a single uniform cross-sectional rim profile formed, e.g., as an extruded bar that had been bent into its annular shape.
  • the outwardly extending side walls are extended beyond the upper bridge 9 by flanges to form a channel for receiving the tire.
  • the flanges have protrusions, such as lips 11 a , 12 a , which extend axially toward a median plane of the rim and toward the tire when received in the annular channel.
  • the rim shown is formed as a hoop-like structure 13 made of metallic alloy, more particularly an aluminum alloy.
  • the hoop 13 forms the lower bridge 10 , the two side walls 11 , 12 and the largest portion of the upper bridge 9 of the rim casing.
  • the hoop also provides the structure for fastening the spokes.
  • Any appropriate structural arrangement known to one skilled in the art can be suitable.
  • the two bridges can be bored in a conventional manner, and the spokes are retained by means of spoke nipples housed within the casing, possibly with additional eyelets, or the lower bridge is bored; the upper bridge is not bored, and the spokes are fastened by means of hollow screws screwed into the lower bridge, as described in the patent publication EP818328 (and family member U.S. Pat. No. 6,224,165), or any other appropriate means.
  • the spokes could also be fastened to the side walls of the casing, as is also known to those skilled in the art.
  • the shape of the hoop 13 is formed by two grooves 15 , 16 that are located along the edges of the upper bridge 9 , and which have respective outward oriented openings.
  • the grooves 15 , 16 define two annular spaces that are included in the overall volume defined by the casing of the rim, and which are recessed along a radial direction with respect to the pneumatic tire.
  • the wall of the hoop that forms the upper bridge 9 is interrupted in the vicinity of the side walls 11 , 12 , and it is extended by two connecting walls 17 , 18 that connect to the side walls 11 , 12 at a distance from the top of these walls.
  • the connecting walls 17 , 18 and the upper portions of the side walls 11 , 12 demarcate the two grooves.
  • the grooves 15 , 16 are made during the extrusion of the metallic bar, which is then bent to form the hoop of the rim.
  • the grooves are formed by the shape of the extrusion die. Because the grooves are open in cross-section, they do not in any way complicate the extrusion operation.
  • the two grooves 15 , 16 are filled with two windings 19 and 20 .
  • the windings are formed by winding a continuous fiber, or fiber strand, such as glass, carbon, or aramid fiber that is embedded in a resin matrix.
  • the fibers, or fiber strands are formed, for example, by wicks of continuous carbon filaments. Such a wick is shown in FIG. 4 . It can include between several tens and several thousands of filaments.
  • the fiber is formed by a multitude of kinked threads or filaments, that is, elementary threads a few centimeters long that are tangled with one another in the manner of a cord.
  • the fiber is formed by a braid in which all of the filaments are oriented along a direction close to the longitudinal direction defined by the fiber.
  • the resin is of any appropriate type, more particularly of the polyester or epoxy type.
  • the resin can be thermosetting or thermoplastic.
  • the windings 19 , 20 fill the volume of the grooves 15 , 16 and arrangement is made so that their exposed surfaces 21 , 22 , i.e., visible through the opening of the grooves, are in continuity with the wall 14 of the hoop, up to the top of the side walls to form the upper bridge 9 of the rim. In this way, therefore, the upper bridge 9 is partially comprised of the resin-coated fiber. It can also be seen that the windings 19 , 20 of resin-coated fiber do not extend axially outwardly beyond the side walls 11 , 12 .
  • the nesting of the windings in grooves of the annular shaped element ensures a good cohesion of these elements and a good transmission of the forces between the metallic portion and the composite portion.
  • the outward opening of the grooves is narrowed by small wall edges in order to reinforce the nesting of the windings in the grooves.
  • FIG. 7 schematically shows an embodiment of the windings 19 and 20 .
  • the hoop 13 is mounted on a plate 23 that is rotationally moved by means of a shaft 24 .
  • the hoop is immobilized on the plate by means of catches 25 a , 25 b , 25 c , 25 d that are movable along radial directions with respect to the axis of the shaft 24 .
  • Two fiber strands 27 and 28 are pulled from feed rollers 29 and 30 .
  • the path of the strands is deviated, for example, by means of return rollers into an enclosure 32 filled with resin so as to impregnate them with resin.
  • the strands are guided again by return rollers so that they are presented in the plane of each of the grooves 15 , 16 , respectively.
  • a drying device 33 can be provided, including, for example, two rollers pressed against one another to evacuate any possible excess of resin.
  • the fibers are tensioned so as to compact the fibers and the resin. Any appropriate means is suited to maintain this tension.
  • the grooves are open outward here to form the windings under tension.
  • the hoop is immobilized on the plate and the ends of the fibers are attached to the hoop by any appropriate means.
  • the ends are glued to the bottom of the grooves by means of an adhesive, or the ends are inserted in a hole or slit provided for this purpose on the hoop; other means can alternatively be used.
  • the plate is rotationally driven to make the windings 19 and 20 .
  • the fibers are cut and the ends are fixed by any appropriate means, such as an adhesive, for example.
  • the return rollers which distribute the fibers at the end can be actuated with a small alternating axial movement in order that the windings tend to position themselves next to one another, and not on top of one another.
  • the resin is polymerized.
  • the polymerization is carried out at ambient temperature, or it is accelerated by an external heating.
  • the heat can be provided by any appropriate means; for example, the hoop of the rim can be heated before the winding operation, or infrared heating ramps can be used, or yet curing can be undertaken in an oven.
  • the rim is kept in a rotational movement in order to prevent a local concentration of resin caused by gravity.
  • the invention includes the option of a finishing operation in the area of the surfaces 21 and 22 which form a portion of the upper bridge.
  • a superficial machining can be undertaken; such a machining can deteriorate certain superficial windings, but it does not affect the general structure of the winding.
  • a superficial coating of resin or of any other appropriate material can be used to even up the possible unevenness of the surfaces 21 and 22 .
  • the windings are formed of about 60% of fibers and 40% of resin in volume, depending upon the compaction.
  • a winding includes at least one fiber winding with an added lapping portion. In a particular embodiment, it includes at least two windings to ensure the continuity of the binding and to prevent a local unbalance. The number of windings is dependent upon the type and size of the fiber. For the embodiment shown, with a wick having 12,000 filaments, there are about ten windings. All these values are provided by way of example.
  • fibers coated with resin under wet conditions one could use fibers including a mixture of dry fibers and fibers made of a thermoplastic material, which is heated upon exit from the feed roller, or yet fibers impregnated with polymerized resin, the polymerization reaction of which is blocked by maintaining low temperature.
  • the two windings could also be made separately, or could be made from feed rollers and systems located on each side of the hoop.
  • the windings could also be made in several portions, and two or more fibers could be simultaneously or successively wound in the same winding, for example. However, in a particular embodiment, it is important to preserve the continuity of the fiber over the entire winding.
  • the grooves of the hoop 213 is demarcated on one side by the side wall 211 of the annular profile and on the other side by the wall 217 and an extension 217 a of the coupling wall 217 that rises beyond the bridge 209 up to the height of the side wall 211 .
  • the cross section of the groove 215 is U-shaped, with its side walls having the same depth.
  • the volume of the groove 215 is filled with the windings 219 of a resin-coated fiber to up to the top of its side walls.
  • the extension 217 a and the upper portion of the windings 219 is machined, for example, by means of a turning cutting tool 220 to form an upper surface 221 in continuity with the upper surface of the bridge 209 .
  • the windings 219 of resin-coated fiber do not extend radially outwardly beyond the side wall 211 .
  • the shape of the annular hoop 313 is the same as that shown in FIG. 2 .
  • the groove 315 is filled with a binding made of two portions.
  • the first portion 319 a is formed by the windings of a resin-coated fiber. This first portion fills the volume of the groove up to the top of the intermediate wall 317 , at its junction with the upper bridge 309 .
  • a second portion 319 b is then attached to fill up the remaining volume of the groove and to ensure the continuity of the upper bridge between the top of the intermediate wall 317 and the top of the side wall 313 .
  • This portion 319 b is made, for example, of resin or of a thermoforming plastic material in the manner of a rim base, or of any other appropriate material.
  • the intermediate wall 417 has an extension 417 a that extends parallel to the side wall 411 of the hoop 413 .
  • the groove 315 thus formed is partially filled by the winding 419 as shown in FIG. 10 b ; then the extension 417 a is bent back above the winding in order to close the opening of the groove 415 and to ensure the continuity of the upper bridge 409 up to the top of the side wall 411 .
  • the main advantage of these various alternative embodiments is to reconcile at best the filling of the grooves with the windings, and the presence, in the area of the opening of the grooves, of a surface that is inclined in relation to the axial direction of the hoop to form the wall for supporting the tubular tire.
  • the fiber windings thus made form bindings that reinforce both the rigidity and the strength of the rim along the two frontal and lateral directions due to the fact that the bindings have a modulus of elasticity that is markedly greater than that of the aluminum alloy, that the windings are nested in grooves of the hoop, and that they form with it a structure that is composite but completely coherent or integrated by adhesion.
  • High strength and rigidity characteristics can therefore be obtained by means of a hoop made of a standard alloy, which is reinforced by such bindings made, for example, of carbon fibers. Since carbon has a modulus and a strength that are greater than those of aluminum, as well as a lower density, one can easily manufacture a rim that is more rigid and stronger than a rim that would be made entirely out of a metallic alloy of the same quality, or of a higher quality. Correlatively, one can construct a lighter rim having mechanical properties that are equivalent to or greater than those of a conventional rim made of alloy, or by reducing the aluminum mass, or by reducing the number of spokes.
  • the alloy of the hoop is a standard alloy, a profile with thinner walls can be extruded at high speed. Therefore, the result is economically positive.
  • Calculation has determined the properties of a rim having the profile shown in FIG. 3 .
  • Rim carbon/ Reference rim epoxy 100% aluminum aluminum composite total Mass (grams) 371 313 56.6 369.6 Relative density d 2.7 2.7 1.5 2.41 Modulus E (MPa) 69500 69500 105000 Strength (MPa) 290 290 1000 E/d 25740 25740 70000 Elongation % 0.42 0.42 0.95 E ⁇ S (106 N) 4.62 4.18 2.01 6.19 Lateral Ei (N ⁇ m 2 ) 209.9 236 121.9 657.9 Frontal Ei (N ⁇ m 2 ) 236.6 188.4 1.8 261.9 Lateral Mf (N ⁇ m) 103.9 98.5 149.3 Frontal Mf (N ⁇ m) 76.4 68.7 79.2
  • the modulus is characteristic of the rigidity of the material.
  • the strength is the elastic strength of the material.
  • E/d designates the specific modulus of the material, that is, the modulus relative to the density.
  • the elongation is the maximum elastic elongation prior to irreversible deformation.
  • E ⁇ S designates the product of the modulus E multiplied by the cross-sectional surface of the profile; it is characteristic of the rigidity in compression of the profile.
  • Lateral Ei designates the rigidity in lateral bending of the profile.
  • Frontal Ei designates the rigidity in frontal bending of the profile.
  • Lateral Mf designates the strength in lateral bending of the profile.
  • Frontal Mf designates the strength in frontal bending of the profile.
  • the above table shows that the mechanical properties of the rim are generally improved with respect to a conventional rim having an equivalent weight.
  • the product E ⁇ S goes from 4.62 to 6.19, i.e., a 34% increase for the compression strength.
  • This product could be further improved by using carbon fibers of higher modulus which could increase the modulus of elasticity of the composite from 105,000 to 300,000 MPa.
  • the lateral rigidity of the rim is increased by close to 70%, and the frontal rigidity by close to 10% with respect to the profile of the bare rim. Indeed, the spokes also play a role in the lateral and frontal rigidity of the wheel.
  • the bindings are not limiting. However, in a particular embodiment, the bindings are positioned in the upper portion of the rim, that is, the farthermost portion from the center of gravity of the profile cross section. Indeed, it is known, according to the Huyghens' theorem, that the quadratic moment of a surface with respect to a point varies with the square of the distance with respect to that point. It is therefore in this zone that the efficiency of the bindings is the most significant. Furthermore, it is also in this zone that the stresses on the rim are the highest.
  • FIG. 11 relates to an alternative embodiment of the invention.
  • the rim comprises a hoop 33 that is provided with four grooves 37 , 38 , 39 , 40 open radially outward and arranged, with respect to the orientation of the cross section shown in FIG. 11 , for example, on top of four parts of the profile cross section.
  • the two upper grooves 37 , 38 are on the edges of the upper bridge 41 , at their junctions with the side walls 34 , 35 , and the two grooves 39 , 40 in extension on each side of the lower bridge 42 , in the area of two reinforcements that the rim profile has in this zone.
  • Each groove houses a winding 43 , 44 , 45 , 46 of resin-coated fiber, particularly of carbon fiber.
  • Each winding fills up the volume of the groove, particularly the upper windings 43 , 44 , in order to provide an outer surface in continuity with that of the hoop in the area of the upper bridge.
  • the windings form bindings that encircle the metallic hoop and thereby reinforce the structure of the rim.
  • FIG. 12 depicts a method of manufacturing the rim of FIG. 11 .
  • the two windings that are formed in the upper grooves 37 , 38 are each made from a fiber strand 47 , 48 guided by return rollers.
  • the fiber strands 49 , 50 are guided by nozzles 51 , 52 , the ends of which are engaged in the recesses of the profile so as to be in the radial plane of the respective grooves.
  • the return rollers and the nozzles can be actuated with an alternating movement to ensure a uniform filling of the grooves with the fibers of the windings.
  • the four windings here can be made simultaneously, or in pairs, or individually, or by rotationally driving the hoop of the rim, or yet by rotating the feed means made of fibers around the hoop of the rim.
  • the two additional windings further improve the mechanical properties of the rim.
  • the bindings are located as far away from the center of gravity of the cross section as possible; as a result, their quadratic moment with respect to the center of gravity is optimum.
  • FIG. 13 and the succeeding drawing figures show rim shaped elements that can be used with conventional tube or tubeless tires.
  • a profile such as the profile 54 shown in FIG. 13 , includes a casing formed by an upper bridge 55 oriented outward, a lower bridge 56 oriented toward the hub, and two side walls 57 , 58 .
  • the two side walls are extended beyond the upper bridge by flanges to form with it a channel 59 for receiving the tire.
  • protrusions 57 a , 58 a At the upper ends of the side walls 57 , 58 are protrusions 57 a , 58 a , i.e., bulges or lips, which are oriented inward of the channel, i.e., toward the median plane of the rim, and which contribute to maintaining the sides of the tire in place.
  • the drawing shows an upper bridge with a profile that is consistent with, or is generally similar to, that which is disclosed in the patent document EP0893280 (and family member U.S. Pat. No. 6,257,676). Although such a profile can be used in the present invention, any other appropriate profile can be used instead.
  • the profile of the rim includes a metallic hoop 60 with two grooves 61 , 62 located at the top of the flanges and open radially outward of the rim.
  • a portion of the wall of the grooves forms the previously described lips/bulges.
  • the two grooves are filled with windings 63 , 64 of resin-coated fiber.
  • the fiber can be of any appropriate type, such as carbon or aramid fiber, for example, and the resin can be of the thermoplastic or thermosetting type.
  • the windings can be made with a continuous fiber, or they can be made in several pieces. The windings form bindings that reinforce the structure of the rim.
  • the windings reinforce the structure in the area of the upper ends of the flanges, which are zones that are particularly subject to forces/biases.
  • the increase in the volume of the upper ends of the flanges also reduces the risks of pinch flats.
  • the lower bridge 71 of the hoop 68 is laterally extended by two channels 69 , 70 that form two grooves.
  • the windings 73 , 74 are wound in the grooves to form two bindings in the area of the lower bridge of the rim.
  • FIG. 15 it is the upper bridge 75 of the hoop 76 that has two grooves 77 , 78 along the side walls 79 , 80 .
  • the openings of the two grooves are oriented outward of the rim and they receive the two fiber windings 81 , 82 .
  • the two grooves in this case demarcate a central well or groove 83 that is useful for mounting the tire. Furthermore, once the tire is mounted, the two windings are no longer visible. With such a profile, one can easily apply the windings. Moreover, the braking surfaces of the side walls and the outer shape of the profile are not affected by the presence of the grooves.
  • FIG. 16 relates to an alternative construction.
  • the metallic hoop 84 has four grooves, two grooves 85 , 86 in the area of the upper bridge 87 along the side walls 89 , 90 , and two grooves 91 , 92 formed by channel-shaped extensions of the lower bridge 93 .
  • Each of the grooves houses a resin-embedded fiber winding 95 , 96 , 97 , and 98 , respectively.
  • the metallic hoop 100 of the rim has three grooves, namely, two grooves 101 , 102 located on the top of the side walls/flanges 103 , 104 , and one groove 105 located in the lower portion of the hoop profile (that is, the lower portion with respect to the cross section shown in FIG. 17 ) by an extension formed somewhat like an upside-down question so as to include an opening facing outward of the hoop.
  • a respective winding 106 , 107 , 108 is housed in each of the grooves, respectively, in order to form three bindings for reinforcing the hoop.
  • FIG. 18 shows a metallic hoop 120 with a double groove 121 / 122 located in the lower portion of the profile, on each side of a median rib 123 located in the median plane of the rim and oriented toward the center of the rim.
  • the double groove receives two fiber windings 124 , 125 .
  • FIGS. 19 and 20 relate to an alternative embodiment of the invention.
  • the windings are prepared in advance and then positioned in housings of the hoop.
  • FIG. 19 shows a hoop 110 , each of the side walls 111 , 112 of which has a reinforcement 113 , 114 that opens outwardly, not radially outward of the rim but outward from a median plane of the rim toward each of its sides.
  • the reinforcements form grooves in which windings 115 , 116 are housed.
  • the windings are made by the slicing of a tube 117 .
  • the slices have dimensions that correspond to the dimensions of the two grooves.
  • the tube is made from one or several carbon fibers or any other appropriate material that is wound on a mandrel.
  • the slices are housed in the grooves, where they are assembled by any appropriate means, such as glue or resin, for example. It is contemplated, according to the invention, that the side walls can possibly then be trimmed, or finished, by machining.
  • each of the bindings could be formed by a plurality of slices nested in one another, the outer diameter of one slice being substantially equal to the inner diameter of the next slice.
  • the slices form bindings that reinforce the structure of the rim.
  • FIG. 21 shows an alternative embodiment of the windings 115 , 116 .
  • This alternative embodiment implements a mandrel 125 formed by a plurality of shouldered elements 126 , 127 , 128 , 129 .
  • Each element has a central core 126 a , 127 a , 128 a , 129 a around which the winding is formed, as well as a disk 126 b , 127 b , 128 b , 129 b that demarcates the groove in which a winding is formed by taking support on the disk and the disk of the adjacent element.
  • the windings are formed either simultaneously or continuously after one another. In the latter case, when a groove is full of fibers, the fiber is caused to skip the disk in order to bring it to the next groove.
  • the windings are made, the elements of the mandrel as disassembled, and the windings are taken out of their respective elements in order to be positioned in the grooves of the metallic hoop.
  • the number of elements for a mandrel, as shown in FIG. 21 is not considered limited by the illustrated embodiment.
  • FIGS. 22 a - 22 c , 23 a , and 23 b illustrates cases in which the profile of the metallic hoop does not have any groove for receiving a fiber winding.
  • the hoop 135 has a profile that is provided for a tubular tire rim. Therefore, it has the same general form as the profile of FIGS. 2 and 3 , except for the absence of grooves.
  • a fiber 136 is wound on the bridge 137 , taking advantage of its concave shape.
  • the fiber is in the form of a wick or the form of a braid, and it is wound from the bottom of the upper bridge toward each of the side walls.
  • the fiber forms a continuous winding 138 that lines the wall of the upper bridge. This winding forms a binding that reinforces the structure of the metallic hoop.
  • the cross section of the metallic hoop 140 has a known shape provided for a tire rim, with, in particular, an upper bridge 141 having a median groove 142 provided for receiving the tire.
  • the winding 143 is made at the bottom of the groove 142 to form the reinforcing binding.
  • the position of the bindings is not optimal; they are indeed relatively close to the center of gravity of the cross section.
  • their contribution to improving the mechanical properties of the rim is significant, particularly in compression.
  • they have the advantage of implementing conventional forms of a metallic shaped element.
  • it is advantageous to accentuate the concavity of the upper bridge for the profile 135 and the depth of the groove for the profile 140 .
  • the invention is not limited to the field of wheels having tension spokes; it also applies to wheels having compression spokes, and even to solid wheels that include a peripheral hoop made of metallic alloy.
  • the invention can also apply to molded rims or wheels; the grooves could then be made during the molding operation, or subsequent thereto by machining.
  • Fibers other than carbon fibers such as, for example, glass fibers, PBO-aramid fibers, PIPD fibers or the like could also be used, provided that their specific modulus (that is, their modulus to density ratio) is greater than that of the hoop of the rim so that such fibers can improve the mechanical properties of the rim.

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  • Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
  • Mechanical Engineering (AREA)
  • Chemical & Material Sciences (AREA)
  • Materials Engineering (AREA)
  • Moulding By Coating Moulds (AREA)
  • Tires In General (AREA)
US11/348,366 2005-02-08 2006-02-07 Wheel rim and method of manufacture thereof, and bicycle including such rim Expired - Fee Related US7959236B2 (en)

Applications Claiming Priority (3)

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FR0501235A FR2881682B1 (fr) 2005-02-08 2005-02-08 Jante de roue et son procede de fabrication
FR0501235 2005-02-08
FR05.01235 2005-02-08

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US20060181140A1 US20060181140A1 (en) 2006-08-17
US7959236B2 true US7959236B2 (en) 2011-06-14

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EP (1) EP1688272A3 (fr)
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US20120013172A1 (en) * 2010-07-13 2012-01-19 Mavic S.A.S. Rim or rim portion made of composite material
US20140178704A1 (en) * 2012-12-21 2014-06-26 Campagnolo S.R.L. Bicycle component comprising a body made from aluminium and a body made from composite material, and method for manufacturing such a component
US20140346847A1 (en) * 2011-12-07 2014-11-27 ThyssenKrupp Carbon Components GmbH Wheel spider
US20220212510A1 (en) * 2019-05-06 2022-07-07 Zf Friedrichshafen Ag Multi-point link for an undercarriage of a vehicle
US20220212511A1 (en) * 2019-05-06 2022-07-07 Zf Friedrichshafen Ag Multi-Point Link for an Undercarriage of a Vehicle

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PT1491362E (pt) * 2003-06-26 2008-07-18 Campagnolo Srl Aro de peso reduzido para uma roda de bicicleta e método para fabricar tal aro
DE60322051D1 (de) * 2003-08-11 2008-08-21 Campagnolo Srl Fahrradfelge aus Verbundwerkstoff und Verfahren zu ihrer Herstellung
US20060000094A1 (en) * 2004-07-01 2006-01-05 Garesche Carl E Forged aluminum vehicle wheel and associated method of manufacture and alloy
FR2890896B1 (fr) * 2005-09-16 2007-10-26 Salomon Sa Procede de fabrication d'une roue a rayons en tension et roue a rayons en tension
FR2900869B1 (fr) 2006-05-12 2009-03-13 Salomon Sa Roue a rayons
EP2030805B1 (fr) * 2007-08-29 2013-02-13 Compositech, Inc. Jante composite renforcée
ITMI20072232A1 (it) * 2007-11-26 2009-05-27 Campagnolo Srl Cerchio per ruota di bicicletta e ruota di bicicletta comprendente tale cerchio
ITMI20072231A1 (it) * 2007-11-26 2009-05-27 Campagnolo Srl Cerchio per ruota di bicicletta e ruota di bicicletta comprendente tale cerchio
EP2100751B1 (fr) 2008-03-14 2011-05-18 Campagnolo S.r.l. Jante pour roue de bicyclette en materiau composite et roue de bicyclette comprenant une telle jante
FR2951403B1 (fr) * 2009-10-15 2011-12-23 Salomon Sas Jante composite et roue comportant une telee jante
CN102039679B (zh) * 2010-11-03 2013-09-11 厦门新凯复材科技有限公司 复合材料轮圈的制作成型工艺
CN103419558A (zh) * 2012-05-24 2013-12-04 环航复合材料股份有限公司 自行车轮框
US9981500B2 (en) 2014-12-04 2018-05-29 Enve Composites, Llc Impact resistant rim
AU2016218931B2 (en) * 2015-02-12 2019-08-08 Xtreme Carbon Pty Ltd A bicycle wheel hub, a bicycle wheel, a bicycle, a method of making a bicycle wheel and a method of making a bicycle
GB201805993D0 (en) * 2018-04-11 2018-05-23 Its Cycling Ltd A rim, rim component and rim assembly for a bicycle wheel and methods of manufacture thereof

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Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US20120013172A1 (en) * 2010-07-13 2012-01-19 Mavic S.A.S. Rim or rim portion made of composite material
US9044998B2 (en) * 2010-07-13 2015-06-02 Mavic S.A.S. Rim or rim portion made of composite material
US20140346847A1 (en) * 2011-12-07 2014-11-27 ThyssenKrupp Carbon Components GmbH Wheel spider
US9555664B2 (en) * 2011-12-07 2017-01-31 ThyssenKrupp Carbon Components GmbH Wheel spider
US20140178704A1 (en) * 2012-12-21 2014-06-26 Campagnolo S.R.L. Bicycle component comprising a body made from aluminium and a body made from composite material, and method for manufacturing such a component
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US20220212510A1 (en) * 2019-05-06 2022-07-07 Zf Friedrichshafen Ag Multi-point link for an undercarriage of a vehicle
US20220212511A1 (en) * 2019-05-06 2022-07-07 Zf Friedrichshafen Ag Multi-Point Link for an Undercarriage of a Vehicle
US11878563B2 (en) * 2019-05-06 2024-01-23 Zf Friedrichshafen Ag Multi-point link for an undercarriage of a vehicle

Also Published As

Publication number Publication date
EP1688272A2 (fr) 2006-08-09
US20060181140A1 (en) 2006-08-17
FR2881682B1 (fr) 2007-04-27
FR2881682A1 (fr) 2006-08-11
EP1688272A3 (fr) 2011-03-30

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